BCJun 01, 2023
British Columbia and Edmonton men face charges in Whitehorse drug raid
Two men, one from Metro Vancouver and another from Alberta, face several charges following a weekend drug raid in Whitehorse.A statement from Yukon RCMP says a search warrant was executed at a Whitehorse home on Saturday and a 22-year-old Richmond manand 23-year-old Edmonton resident were arrested.Charges against them include trafficking, possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking, possession of the proceeds of crime over $5,000, and money laundering.Mounties say more than $130,000 in cash was seized during the bust, along with cellphones, scales and nearly two-thirds of a kilogram o
BCMay 31, 2023
B.C. names 10 cities for faster development to help address housing crisis
British Columbia's housing minster says more homes will be built sooner under a plan to set construction targets in 10 cities or municipalities in an effort to fast track development. Ravi Kahlon announced housing targets will be set for Vancouver, West Vancouver, North Vancouver, Delta, Port Moody, Abbotsford, Victoria, Oak Bay, Saanich and Kamloops.Kahlon says the government chose the first 10 communities based on the needs in the province and projected growth.The targets won't be released to the public until this summer, but Kahlon says they'll be meeting with the cities in the next few wee
BCMay 31, 2023
Doctors at Surrey, B.C., hospital raise alarm over staffing and patient-care crisis
The association representing Surrey Memorial Hospital doctors has issued another letter demanding that either the emergency room vacancies be filled, or the emergency room be closed to new patients.A letter was written on May 19 by the Medical Staff Association of Surrey Memorial Hospital.According to that letter, it has become difficult to provide services due to the lack of hospital staff in the emergency and the patients coming in have not been adequately cared for.The letter, written to Fraser Health CEO Dr Victoria Lee, Health Minister Adrian Dix and other leaders, also said that no actio
BCMay 30, 2023
B.C. housing non-profit at heart of controversy names interim CEO
The Atira Women's Resource Society says it has named a new interim CEO after former head Janice Abbott stepped down amid a conflict-of-interest controversy involving her husband, former BC Housing CEO Shayne Ramsay.Atira says its new CEO Catherine Roome is an experienced leader in both the public and private sectors and will head the organization until a permanent replacement for Abbott is found.Atira board chair Elva Kim says recruiting Roome is part of its effort to restore public confidence in the housing provider after Abbott's departure earlier this month.The housing provider says it's co
BCMay 26, 2023
Vancouver based Lululemon promises 2600 new jobs over 5 years
The Vancouver-based company Lululemon is promising 2600 new jobs over five years.C.E.O Calvin McDonald says the company has secured an additional 125,000 square feet of office space in downtown Vancouver.McDonald says he's confident in the decision after the federal government said the company could hire foreign workers for certain highly skilled positions without needing to apply for a labour market impact assessment.Federal Innovation Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne says if Ottawa hadn't acted, the company's headquarters may have left Vancouver.
BCMay 25, 2023
Province plans for new cancer centre in Kamloops, B.C.
The British Columbia government is preparing to build a new cancer care centre in Kamloops.Health Minister Adrian Dix says the new centre at the Royal Inland Hospital will include radiation therapy, meaning patients will no longer have to travel the roughly two hour trip to Kelowna for that treatment.Dix says a 'concept plan' for the centre, which was promised as part of the 2020 election, has been approved, and a business plan will be completed this calendar year.Dix says he expects the building to be ready to see patients in 2027 and that cancer centres typically cost between $200 and $300 m
BCMay 24, 2023
AbCellera to make C$701 million co-investment in Canada
The B.C. and federal governments have boosted their funding to a Vancouver-based company that helped develop the first antibody therapy treatment for COVID-19.AbCellera Biologics has announced a 700 million dollar plan to add lab space, equipment and technology at its manufacturing plant.B.C. will provide 75-million dollars to fund research and clinical trial projects while the federal government is contributing 225 million dollars.AbCellera says the latest expansion will help it turn basic research into usable medicines, while developing programs to get those medicines into clinical trials.
BCMay 23, 2023
Federal government pledges $5M to Chinese Canadian Museum in Vancouver
The Chinese Canadian Museum in Vancouver has received about $5 million in new federal funding ahead of its opening on July 1.Federal International Trade and Economic Development Minister Mary Ng says the new funding will go toward renewal of the museum's permanent space at the Wing Sang Building in Vancouver's Chinatown, as well as supporting the facility's first exhibit.Ng made the funding announcement on the sidelines of the U.S.-Canada Chinatown Cultural Preservation and Revitalization Conference, which is hosting representatives from 18 Chinatowns from across North America.Ng says efforts
BCMay 23, 2023
B.C marks 109th anniversary of the arrival of the Komagata Maru ship
Today is the 109th anniversary of the arrival of the Komagata Maru ship in B.C. On this occasion, B.C. Premier David Eby has issued a statement.According to this statement, 109 years ago today, a ship full of 376 Sikh, Hindu and Muslim passengers reached the coast of Vancouver.All of them came to Canada with the dream of living a big life.Where they should have been welcomed, Canada's immigration officers did not allow them to disembark.After 2 months of being stuck on the ship, the Komagata Maru was sent back to Asia.In 2008, B.C. apologized for racial discrimination against these passengers.